with Michael Breus, PhD, ABSM

This blog has now been retired. We appreciate all of the insights that Dr. Breus has provided to the WebMD community.

Important:

The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, review, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have... Expand

The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions. Some of these opinions may contain information about treatments or uses of drug products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.

Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

Wall Street jobs are coveted and highly competitive; they’re also notoriously demanding. It’s not a stretch to imagine the long hours, intense pressure, and grueling pace of Wall Street work could take its toll on sleep and overall health. A new study confirms just that. This in-depth research also sheds some interesting and detailed light on a complicated work culture that drives its young professionals to forgo sleep and compromise their health, ignoring signs and symptoms of stress and illness along the way.

Alexandra Michel, a business professor at University of Southern California, spent nine years studying groups of investment bankers at two large (and unnamed) U.S. banks. Michel’s subjects were young—their average age at the start of the study was 28—and evenly split between male and female. For these bankers, 120-hour work weeks were typical. In the time Michel spent researching their work habits, none of her subjects ever worked fewer than 80 hours per week. In addition to the long hours, employees were expected to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via cell phone or PDA. Long hours, combined with the fast-paced, high-pressure, and the highly competitive nature of the work created a stress-filled work environment. Bankers themselves described their work environments as “boot camps” and “grind mills.”

Under these conditions, it’s not surprising that any attempt at separation between work life and non-work life would collapse, which is exactly what happened. Michel’s research shows that her subjects’ sleep and health collapsed as well. Insomnia and depression were commonly reported among the investment bankers. The finance workers also reported relying on alcohol and drugs as relief from the pressure, stress, and fatigue of their work. For a period of three years, these young workers were generally able to ignore the toll that lack of sleep and long, intense work conditions had on their bodies. After year three, however, employees reported having a much harder time bearing up against constant sleep deprivation, grueling work hours, and intense stress.

News of sleep problems, stress, and the health risks associated with high-pressure finance work aren’t really new or surprising. I wrote about another study—this one in the U.K.—which revealed sleep problems and stress among financial workers. In this study, insomnia, depression, and anxiety were found to be widespread among finance workers. These conditions affected employees at all levels, from top executives to new recruits. Like the U.S. investment bankers in this latest research, finance workers in the U.K. often ignored their symptoms and frequently resorted to alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms.

The risks of overwork to sleep and overall health are by no means limited to Wall Street or to work in the financial industry. We’re seeing a lot of research these days about sleep problems and health risks for employees in demanding and high-pressure jobs:

This study of software engineers in India found that 56% suffered from insomnia, a rate twice as high as the general population. Among the subjects, women were more likely to have mild to moderate insomnia, while men were more likely to suffer from severe insomnia.

A recent study of law enforcement in the U.S. and Canada revealed widespread sleep problems among its officers. Forty percent of law enforcement officers had some type of sleep disorder, with 33% suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Officers who had sleep apnea were 148% more likely to also suffer from depression, and 61% more likely to have diabetes.

These are all regarded as demanding, high-pressure jobs. But whose job isn’t these days? You don’t have to be a Wall Street hotshot to know the challenges of long workdays, the pressure to be available to your employer on a near-constant basis, and the feeling of needing to always be doing more. You also know what kind of toll this non-stop work mode can have on your body, your sleep, and your health.

Striking a balance between our work lives and personal lives, of course, is the key. So is managing stress, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, exercising regularly, and keeping our digital devices out of the bedroom and our nighttime routines. No, finding balance is not always easy. But your sleep and your health will benefit.

Comments

Leave a comment

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and both a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He was one of the youngest people to have passed the Board at age 31 and, with a specialty in Sleep Disorders, is one of only 163 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinction. Dr. Breus is dedicated to informing the public and health care communities about disordered sleep in a sleep-deprived society.

You may also like...

The opinions expressed in the WebMD Blogs are of the author and the author alone. They do not reflect the opinions of WebMD and they have not been reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance or objectivity. WebMD Blogs are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.